Justin Jefferson’s monster deal continues to highlight the discount the Chiefs are getting with one superstar
The Kansas City Chiefs have been delicate with their offseason money in 2024 but Justin Jefferson’s super contract has demonstrated the discount the Chiefs are getting with one player.
On Monday, the NFL Insiders confirmed that the best wide receiver in football was going to be paid as one.
Justin Jefferson’s OTA absences meant the Minnesota Vikings shifted into another gear and accelerated the talks with their wide receiver.
Justin Jefferson blows the roof off the wide receiver market with a record deal
The Viking signed a four-year deal worth $140 million with $110 million guaranteed.
This deal has made the three-time Pro Bowler the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, surpassing Nick Bosa’s record when he signed his papers with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Moreover, Jefferson’s deal has highlighted to the Kansas City Chiefs the discount they are getting on their superstar tight end Travis Kelce.
The nine-time Pro Bowler has revolutionized the tight end position and has adopted wide receiver production.
Travis Kelce has been underpaid and received a pay rise in April
For a long period, the media and fans had recognized that Kelce was being underpaid when considering his stats.
In late April, the Chiefs announced that their tight end would receive a well-deserved pay increase on the remaining two years of his deal.
Kelce is set to earn a potential $34.25 million on his existing two-year contract, which is $750,000 short of what Jefferson could make in a season.
Since 2022, Jefferson’s rookie year, he has finished second in receiving yards (5,899) behind Tyreek Hill (6,024), with Travis Kelce situated in seventh (4,863).
Travis Kelce has been just as productive as several wide receivers in the NFL
During this time, the Chiefs legend is short of A.J. Brown – who reset the wide receiver market before the NFL Draft – by 33 yards but played two games more.
Additionally, Kelce has racked up 37 touchdowns since 2020, which ranks him fifth among all pass catchers.
When comparing Kelce and Jefferson over the last four seasons, the former has eight more catches and five more touchdowns to his name.
However, the Vikings star’s numbers have taken a blow after he pulled his hamstring in the week 5 matchup against the Chiefs.
Nonetheless, Travis Kelce has produced numbers that WR2s would be proud of while he gets paid considerably less.
Kelce does not get the pay recognition his production deserves because he is a tight end
Unfortunately, the 34-year-old suffers from being situated in a cheaper positional market.
